


The World You Missed

by Katydid_99



Category: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey
Genre: 1960s, Gen, Implied asexual character, Korean War, Like In The Book, Music, National Poetry Writing Month, Poetry, Slam Poetry, Vietnam War, implied PTSD, romance if you squint?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 00:43:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18457991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katydid_99/pseuds/Katydid_99
Summary: Mac asked Chief to come with him.Here's what he meant.





	The World You Missed

I wish I could have shown you the world.

Or at least

The world you missed.

Ten

Ten years

A lot can change

In ten years.

What have you missed?

Three elections, two presidents-

We finished up with one war only to immediately stumble into another one.

We’ve got whiplash from all the fighting.

 

(I can still smell the camp in my dreams…)

 

There’s so much I wanna show you:

Cars are faster

Skirts are shorter

Music is better

I want to lie with you on the floor

-record player between us-

And play it all for you.

Presley, Checker, Ray- I just got a record from four twinks in Liverpool

They’re gonna be world famous one day

I swear to God.

They’re on to something

I swear to God.

 

I wonder if you would have liked it.

I don’t know what you like.

This place- ten years- it’s erased you.

Or at least,

Your ability to be you.

I know nothing about you.

(God, I want to know)

You’ve told me nothing about you.

(God, I want you to tell me)

 

I have to watch instead.

Watch and learn.

I keep lists in my memory of your likes-

Coffee

Photography

Math

The Sea-

And dislikes-

Migraines

Needles

Sex

Wet socks-

I know that you look up at the sky in wonder,

And like loose tops with sleeves that cover your hands,

And dream about your father and wake up in tears.

All else is untested.

What flavor of ice cream do you like?

Do you prefer rain or snow?

How do you like to be kissed?

 

You’ve missed out,

But so have I- on you.

Tell me

-or better yet-

Let me see.

Let me learn.

 

I wish I could have shown you the world.

Guess you’ll have to see it for yourself.


End file.
